A few weeks ago I was driving and saw a creek. I should check that out, I thought.
I walked along the creek bed which had mostly dried, and in some puddles and pools, I noticed tiny figures flitting around in the water and ripples on the surface.
Could they be fish? No, at first all I could see was little water striders congregating around the edges of the water. I decided to look closer.
After waiting 30 seconds or so, I saw them: tiny little fish coming out of hiding from behind submerged roots and branches, rocks, and overhangs of the creek bank. Dozens in each puddle, thousands in close proximity along the creek bed.
I decided to pull out my camera and start recording them. I discovered that they were mostly coho salmon, born maybe 4 months earlier, weathering the driest part of the summer yet in these rapidly vanishing pools. Many weren’t making it. Thankfully we’ve had heavy rains since then so they’re likely doing well now.
My recordings picked up a vast, lively, diverse array of tiny creatures. Everything from water mites to daphnia to frogs. Water beetles would spontaneously sneak out and shoot around a pool, searching for what, I have no idea.
Tiny prickly sculpins hid under the stones, occasionally coming out to find food or choose a new hiding spot.
The geology of the creek was a beautiful blend of strange black volcanic rock, soft clay, and the hallmark sandstones of this part of the island I live on. Every bend of the creek revealed new and interesting features. The layers of the clay and sandstone sometimes revealed bizarre swirling patterns. I couldn’t guess the way in which they formed.
I was surrounded by the echoes of at least a dozen ravens at any time, picking through the trees and creek bed for food. They were so fascinating to listen to and watch.
I was transported to another world. It was so deeply enchanting in those woods. Millions of lives playing out in this ridiculously beautiful yet precarious creek bed. Dense woods filled with moss, ferns, and towering cedars.
And the world is filled with these places. I will find another place to pull over soon, and my heart will be filled with wonder again.
A few weeks ago I was driving and saw a creek. I should check that out, I thought.
I walked along the creek bed which had mostly dried, and in some puddles and pools, I noticed tiny figures flitting around in the water and ripples on the surface.
Could they be fish? No, at first all I could see was little water striders congregating around the edges of the water. I decided to look closer.
After waiting 30 seconds or so, I saw them: tiny little fish coming out of hiding from behind submerged roots and branches, rocks, and overhangs of the creek bank. Dozens in each puddle, thousands in close proximity along the creek bed.
I decided to pull out my camera and start recording them. I discovered that they were mostly coho salmon, born maybe 4 months earlier, weathering the driest part of the summer yet in these rapidly vanishing pools. Many weren’t making it. Thankfully we’ve had heavy rains since then so they’re likely doing well now.
My recordings picked up a vast, lively, diverse array of tiny creatures. Everything from water mites to daphnia to frogs. Water beetles would spontaneously sneak out and shoot around a pool, searching for what, I have no idea.
Tiny prickly sculpins hid under the stones, occasionally coming out to find food or choose a new hiding spot.
The geology of the creek was a beautiful blend of strange black volcanic rock, soft clay, and the hallmark sandstones of this part of the island I live on. Every bend of the creek revealed new and interesting features. The layers of the clay and sandstone sometimes revealed bizarre swirling patterns. I couldn’t guess the way in which they formed.
I was surrounded by the echoes of at least a dozen ravens at any time, picking through the trees and creek bed for food. They were so fascinating to listen to and watch.
I was transported to another world. It was so deeply enchanting in those woods. Millions of lives playing out in this ridiculously beautiful yet precarious creek bed. Dense woods filled with moss, ferns, and towering cedars.
And the world is filled with these places. I will find another place to pull over soon, and my heart will be filled with wonder again.
It’s all there if you look for it.